Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is a distributed optical amplifier which includes: a pump light generator which generates pump light for optically exciting an optical transmission line; and a multiplexer which multiplexes n kinds (n is a positive integer) of light to be amplified and the pump light output from the pump light generator, and outputs the multiplexed light to the optical transmission line. When a center wavelength of the n kinds of light to be amplified is denoted as ?S1 to ?Sn and a zero-dispersion wavelength of the optical transmission line is denoted as ?0, intensity of the pump light generated by the pump light generator is suppressed at n kinds of wavelengths represented by 2×?0??S1 to 2×?0??Sn in comparison to intensity of other wavelengths of the pump light generated by the pump light generator.

Abstract: A pump light generation unit of an optical amplifier pumping device outputs pump light with a single wavelength or a plurality of wavelengths from a plurality of output ports. A pump light multiplexing unit polarization-multiplexes or wavelength-multiplexes the plurality of pieces of pump light which has been output from the pump light generation unit. A polarization scrambler collectively polarization-scrambles the polarization-multiplexed or wavelength-multiplexed pump light which has been output from the pump light multiplexing unit and outputs the polarization-scrambled pump light to an optical waveguide for pump light. The optical waveguide for pump light inputs the pump light which has been polarization-multiplexed or wavelength-multiplexed by the pump light multiplexing unit to the pump light superimposition unit. A pump light superimposition unit multiplexes the polarization-multiplexed or wavelength-multiplexed pump light and signal light.

Abstract: A depolarizer for depolarizing input light having a plurality of linearly polarized waves whose optical frequency interval is f includes: an input optical waveguide configured to propagate the input light while maintaining linear polarization; a first polarization-maintaining coupler configured to bifurcate the linearly polarized waves output from the input optical waveguide to a first arm and a second arm while maintaining a polarization state; a second polarization-maintaining coupler configured to polarization-multiplex and output the linearly polarized waves propagated through the first arm and the second arm; and a polarization-maintaining variable optical delay line arranged on at least one of the first arm or the second arm, in which the variable optical delay line is adjusted such that a difference in delay time between the linearly polarized waves propagated through the first arm and the second arm becomes close to (n+0.5)/f where n is an arbitrary integer.

Abstract: Provided is a first bias power source that generates a first data bias voltage to be applied to an optical modulation unit for the I component, a second bias power source that generates a second data bias voltage to be applied to an optical modulation unit for the Q component, and a third bias power source that generates a quadrature bias voltage to be applied to an optical phase shifter, a data bias voltage adjustment unit that applies a feedback control to each of the first bias power source and the second bias power source, and a quadrature bias voltage adjustment unit that determines whether or not the quadrature bias voltage is optimal on a basis of a second optical QAM signal generated by an IQ optical modulator, and applies a feedback control to the third bias power source, in which a first optical QAM signal and the second optical QAM signal are generated by the IQ optical modulator but the optical phase difference between an optical electric field EI and an optical electric field EQ differs by ?.

Abstract: An optical transmitter includes an I-component optical modulation unit, a Q-component optical modulation unit, and a 2×2 optical coupler. The I-component optical modulation unit generates modulated light based on an I-component data signal. The Q-component optical modulation unit generates modulated light based on a Q-component data signal. The 2×2 optical coupler receives the modulated light generated by the I-component optical modulation unit from a first input port, receives the modulated light generated by the Q-component optical modulation unit from a second input port, generates two optical QAM signals having a phase conjugate relationship from the modulated light which has been input from the first input port and the modulated light which has been input from the second input port, outputs one of said two optical QAM signals from a first output port, and outputs the other one of said two optical QAM signals from a second output port.

Abstract: A synchronization detection device includes: a correction unit configured to correct sampled data of a waveform on which a dither signal is superimposed, for each period of a reference signal in accordance with a period of the dither signal; a multiplication unit configured to multiply the corrected sampled data by a weight coefficient that is different for each level of the reference signal and associated with a timing of the reference signal; and an averaging unit configured to derive, as a detection result, an average of a result of the multiplication of the corrected sampled data by the weight coefficient.

Abstract: An optical transmitter includes quadrature modulators and light receiving elements to which inverted output light of output light from the quadrature modulators is input, the quadrature modulators including parent Mach-Zehnder modulators in respective paths of a first pair of paths into which carrier light from a light source is split, the parent Mach-Zehnder modulators including child Mach-Zehnder modulators including first phase modulation units, and second phase modulation units.

Abstract: Provided is a first bias power source that generates a first data bias voltage to be applied to an optical modulation unit for the I component, a second bias power source that generates a second data bias voltage to be applied to an optical modulation unit for the Q component, and a third bias power source that generates a quadrature bias voltage to be applied to an optical phase shifter, a data bias voltage adjustment unit that applies a feedback control to each of the first bias power source and the second bias power source, and a quadrature bias voltage adjustment unit that determines whether or not the quadrature bias voltage is optimal on a basis of a second optical QAM signal generated by an IQ optical modulator, and applies a feedback control to the third bias power source, in which a first optical QAM signal and the second optical QAM signal are generated by the IQ optical modulator but the optical phase difference between an optical electric field EI and an optical electric field EQ differs by ?.

Abstract: A synchronization detection device includes: a correction unit configured to correct sampled data of a waveform on which a dither signal is superimposed, for each period of a reference signal in accordance with a period of the dither signal; a multiplication unit configured to multiply the corrected sampled data by a weight coefficient that is different for each level of the reference signal and associated with a timing of the reference signal; and an averaging unit configured to derive, as a detection result, an average of a result of the multiplication of the corrected sampled data by the weight coefficient.

Abstract: A control processor performs, in a startup sequence of an IQ optical modulator using a nested MZI, a first-stage process of controlling, so that a signal quality of an optical QAM signal output from a monitor port of the IQ optical modulator approaches a target quality, a voltage applied by a Bias_I voltage generator to I-component MZ optical modulator, a voltage applied by a Bias_Q voltage generator to a Q-component MZ optical modulator, and a voltage applied by a Bias_Ph voltage generator to a Bias_Ph phase adjusting means for controlling an optical path length of a parent MZI. After a completion of the first-stage process, the control processor changes a voltage output from the Bias_Ph voltage generator by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An optical transmitter includes quadrature modulators and light receiving elements to which inverted output light of output light from the quadrature modulators is input, the quadrature modulators including parent Mach-Zehnder modulators in respective paths of a first pair of paths into which carrier light from a light source is split, the parent Mach-Zehnder modulators including child Mach-Zehnder modulators including first phase modulation units, and second phase modulation units.

Abstract: A control processor performs, in a startup sequence of an IQ optical modulator using a nested MZI, a first-stage process of controlling, so that a signal quality of an optical QAM signal output from a monitor port of the IQ optical modulator approaches a target quality, a voltage applied by a Bias_I voltage generator to I-component MZ optical modulator, a voltage applied by a Bias_Q voltage generator to a Q-component MZ optical modulator, and a voltage applied by a Bias_Ph voltage generator to a Bias_Ph phase adjusting means for controlling an optical path length of a parent MZI. After a completion of the first-stage process, the control processor changes a voltage output from the Bias_Ph voltage generator by a predetermined amount.

Abstract: An optical modulator according to embodiments includes a first MZI and a second MZI each including a first optical coupler that splits CW light into two, a second optical coupler that couples the CW light split by the first optical coupler and outputs the CW light, and a bias electrode that adjusts a phase of the CW light split by the first optical coupler, a third optical coupler that couples outputs of the first MZI and the second MZI with at a predetermined ratio and outputs the light, and a bias adjustment circuit that adjusts an output voltage of a bias power supply applied to a bias electrode so that an optical path length difference between the CW light beams split by the first optical coupler is a predetermined times a carrier wavelength under a condition that an output of a differential output amplifier is a zero level, in accordance with an operating mode of the own apparatus.

Abstract: An automatic bias control circuit for an optical modulator using nested MZIs includes: a parent MZI control bias voltage generator that generates a parent MZI control bias voltage; a photodetector that converts tapped output light from the optical modulator into an electrical signal; a low-frequency cut-off circuit that suppresses modulation components that are slower than a first frequency, included in the electrical signal; and a control unit that controls the parent MZI control bias voltage generator on the basis of an electrical signal in which the slower modulation components have been suppressed. The control unit controls the parent MZI control bias voltage generator so as to minimize the effective value or the peak value of the electrical signal in which the slower modulation components have been suppressed.

Abstract: An automatic bias control circuit for an optical modulator using nested MZIs includes: a parent MZI control bias voltage generator that generates a parent MZI control bias voltage; a photodetector that converts tapped output light from the optical modulator into an electrical signal; a low-frequency cut-off circuit that suppresses modulation components that are slower than a first frequency, included in the electrical signal; and a control unit that controls the parent MZI control bias voltage generator on the basis of an electrical signal in which the slower modulation components have been suppressed. The control unit controls the parent MZI control bias voltage generator so as to minimize the effective value or the peak value of the electrical signal in which the slower modulation components have been suppressed.

Abstract: An optical modulator according to embodiments includes a first MZI and a second MZI each including a first optical coupler that splits CW light into two, a second optical coupler that couples the CW light split by the first optical coupler and outputs the CW light, and a bias electrode that adjusts a phase of the CW light split by the first optical coupler, a third optical coupler that couples outputs of the first MZI and the second MZI with at a predetermined ratio and outputs the light, and a bias adjustment circuit that adjusts an output voltage of a bias power supply applied to a bias electrode so that an optical path length difference between the CW light beams split by the first optical coupler is a predetermined times a carrier wavelength under a condition that an output of a differential output amplifier is a zero level, in accordance with an operating mode of the own apparatus.

Abstract: A control unit of a bias control circuit performs a loop process that fixes a second bias voltage and iterates a process of recording a pair of a first candidate bias voltage and a second candidate bias voltage that are a first bias voltage when optical power of a multi-level QAM signal output by an optical modulator is controlled so that the optical power converges to a value in the vicinity of the maximum value or the minimum value before and after a third bias voltage is increased or decreased by a half-wave voltage while changing the second bias voltage within a predetermined range. The control unit calculates the difference between the first candidate bias voltage and the second candidate bias voltage for each of a plurality of recorded pairs and determines a value between first candidate bias voltage and the second candidate bias voltage of a pair selected on the basis of the calculated difference as the value of the first bias voltage.

Abstract: A control unit of a bias control circuit performs a loop process that fixes a second bias voltage and iterates a process of recording a pair of a first candidate bias voltage and a second candidate bias voltage that are a first bias voltage when optical power of a multi-level QAM signal output by an optical modulator is controlled so that the optical power converges to a value in the vicinity of the maximum value or the minimum value before and after a third bias voltage is increased or decreased by a half-wave voltage while changing the second bias voltage within a predetermined range. The control unit calculates the difference between the first candidate bias voltage and the second candidate bias voltage for each of a plurality of recorded pairs and determines a value between first candidate bias voltage and the second candidate bias voltage of a pair selected on the basis of the calculated difference as the value of the first bias voltage.

Abstract: An optical transmission system includes an optical transmission apparatus and an optical reception apparatus. The optical transmission apparatus includes a conversion unit that converts multiple binary data sequences into data in a predetermined signal format; a coding unit that generates multiple pieces of coded data by performing predetermined coding on each of the multiple pieces of converted data; an optical signal generation unit that generates multiple optical signals by converting the multiple pieces of coded data into optical signals; and a mode multiplexer that converts the multiple optical signals into different modes, generates a mode-division multiplexed optical signal by mode-division multiplexing the optical signals, and transmits the generated mode-division multiplexed optical signal to the optical reception apparatus.

Abstract: An optical transmitter includes: an optical modulator including an MZ interferometer, a drive signal input electrode, and a phase difference adjustment bias electrode; a drive amplifier; a phase difference adjustment bias voltage generator; a dithering unit that applies dithering of a predetermined frequency to an amplitude of a drive signal or to a half-wave voltage of the MZ interferometer; a controller unit that changes a phase difference adjustment bias voltage based on a modulation component of the frequency that is superimposed onto modulated light that is output from the optical modulator, to thereby bias the MZ interferometer to a null point; and a synchronous detection circuit that synchronously detects the modulation component of the frequency that is superimposed onto the modulated light. The controller unit changes the phase difference adjustment bias voltage such that a result of synchronous detection by the synchronous detection circuit becomes maximized or minimized.